Wildcat Pitcher Strikes Out 11 as Northwestern Takes Down Louisville

The Cardinals were stifled by Northwestern, which finally picked up some steam.

Northwestern's Lauren Boyd (15) pitches during a college softball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Northwestern Wildcats at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Friday, March 17, 2023. Oklahoma won 2-1. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Wildcats entered the weekend desperately needing a spark after early-season struggles, but they found it in Louisville, Kentucky.

Northwestern Softball was 6-8 after a brutal weekend at the Mary Nutter Classic, where NU lost to Seattle, Saint Mary's and was run-ruled by California. That followed a weekend in Baton Rouge where the Wildcats were outscored a combined 18-1 by LSU twice and Virginia Tech.

The Cardinal Classic in Louisville started poorly too, as two-way pitcher Riley Grudzielanek went just 1 2/3 innings and the Wildcats lost to Central Michigan, 4-2. The Chippewas are just 4-10 on the year.

However, Northwestern rebounded in a big way with a pair of wins against Longwood. The Wildcats won, 9-1 on Friday and 10-5 on Saturday, as Kansas Robinson, Bridget Donahey and Kelsey Nader all homered. Grudzielanek earned the win in the latter match, giving up just one earned run in 4 1/3 innings.

The challenge was whether NU could keep its success against ACC opponent Louisville, which was 3-0 during the weekend and 14-5 on the season. The Wildcats certainly did, as Lauren Boyd put up another strong performance.

The graduate student pitcher, who missed all of the 2024 season with an injury, kept the Cardinals scoreless into the seventh inning, striking out a career-high 11 batters in the process. It took until the fifth for the Wildcats to finally bring a runner across the plate, but Boyd's wheeling and dealing on the mound gave the Northwestern bats enough time to figure out Louisville pitcher Alyssa Zabala.

NU broke the game wide open in the fifth after freshman Kaylie Avvisato's first career home run, seizing a five-run advantage. Boyd later allowed a run to score in the seventh inning, but made the play of the game with runners in scoring position to earn Northwestern its third consecutive win.

Lauren Boyd closed it out in STYLE 😱 #SCTop10 | #BeRemarkable pic.twitter.com/mspGts6nmu

— Northwestern Softball (@NUSBcats) March 2, 2025

Boyd's day was one of the best of her year so far, joining a complete game where she allowed just one earned run to then-No. 8 Duke in a 4-1 Northwestern win.

The Wildcats will have 11 days off before opening Big Ten play with two games apiece to Penn State and Michigan State, starting March 13. The four neutral-site matches will be played in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.